It is subjectively clear that some users are “better” than others at searching the Web. Different people have more experience with computers and have greater expertise at searching the Web. Being good at Web searching is independent of a searcher's domain-specific knowledge, and does not mean that the searcher knows a lot about the material for which he is searching. A user's general skill level at searching the Web dictates whether the searcher is a good searcher. For example, certain searchers are better at search tasks such as formulating search queries, quickly evaluating search results, and integrating information from multiple search systems.
While it may be subjectively clear whether a particular user is a skilled searcher, the standard search engine user interface does not distinguish between novice and expert searchers. To date, no system attempts to automatically evaluate a searcher's expertise level and tailor various aspects of the search system accordingly. Current search engines do not care about or take into account a searcher's level of experience searching the Web. The search engine user interface seen by a skillful searcher who has searched the Web 100 times per day for ten years is the same as that seen by a novice who has only searched the Web once or twice.
Some search engine user interfaces include a button that the searcher can click for advanced search features (usually called “advanced search”). This button takes the searcher to a menu that allows the searcher more options, such as Boolean operators. This advanced search option does not change the way the results are presented to the searcher, however, it merely provides the searcher with additional options. Ironically, a skilled searcher typically does not need more options as he will just use advanced search techniques (such as Boolean operators) in the standard query box. The user interface of standard search engines, however, does not attempt to behave differently according to differing searcher expertise levels.